Second Hand

Oh boy, oh boy, last week I was busy with cleaning and setting up my new old chair that it really slip my mind to write for my blog. Last week, I went surfing on marktplaats, like a dutch craiglist and looked for a second hand Poang from Ikea. So when I saw someone put 17,50 for the chair and the foot thingy, I just wore my naughty shoes and ask if 10,00 is okay too. Within a few hours she replied but I fell asleep and replied in the morning, to pick it up in the evening.

I wasn't there yet, I still needed to clean every bit and bought a new cushion set from Ikea. The cushion that I got is from a really nice leather but the colour and the shine lost all it's natural glow. I searched the whole Saturday evening for a solution to get the nice colour back in to it. In the end I bought for less then a €1,- a bucket soap that restore the tenderness in the leather.

In the process I also found out I lost not a screw but a bout, so after contacting Ikea they promised me to send the missing piece. I really like Ikea services, my home doesn't have a lot of stuff from Ikea and I am not a fan. But I find it very comfortable that such company won't ask me to buy a new product just because of a missing piece. Just throwing a good chair away just because of a missing piece that is just wrong. Of course there a companies that will do it like that just to raise revenue but in my opinion that is just wrong.

I also got the drift and I am also selling my old stuff away, I hope to get some buckets in for a nice diner.

Sale again

Beginning this year I bought some stuff to add in my wardrobe but this time the sale was so good that I bought some extra stuff. I have bought a shirt with short sleeve for just €1,75 a sweater for €2,50 and a exercise pants for the same price. In total I paid just €6,75 I was even smiling when I was waiting to pay the stuff.

I have to say that this time I choose all the stuff that I don't have a duplicate in my existing wardrobe. Because of that I am very proud of myself. It's not always that easy to change or buy things I haven't tried before.

I don't expect to buy anything more but maybe this weekend when I go out for shopping I will find something suitable that I just can't let it hang. Okay, I didn't just went into the shop without research. I already knew what the prices are and what the highest discount would be and when I would definitely buy it. Weeks before all the stuff that I bought were already in sale but I found the discount not high enough and predicted that in two weeks the rest will be discounted even more.

So Sunday before doing the weekly groceries I went to check the store and found what I wanted to buy for the right price. I am so happy when I bought the shirt. Afterwards my family was already giving me orders to help search for the discounted clothing.

Sale makes me very happy especially when I can renew my wardrobe a bit and donate some stuff away cause the on-in-two-out rule that still exist under my roof is something I have to apply.

Listening

I am very fortunate to hear different stories from my elders. In the weekend after shopping we dropped by a grandmother in the neighbourhood. I have always called her grandma for as long as I know. The day before while cycling I already saw her but I went to fast to stop.

So the day after I asked my mom if she wanted to visit after our shopping spree. Grandma's daughter was also there, all the way from Malasya. I got to hear how my generation doesn't know the feeling of hunger and poverty.

How people of the ages of 40, 60 and 80 are reminising about their childhood and food. How they used to wait to get food on the plates. How happy they are thinking about the time they have so much less. It makes me proud that I can hear these stories about them.

Complaining that we now don't value the primary things in our lives makes it kind of funny how different generations think of stuff and food. By listening good to their conversations I am very happy to live in the present instead of the past.

Containers... Tetris

I really like my pantry organized but with bags like musli it just won't stand up normally. I don't own a huge pot to put a whole kilogram in so the next best thing is smaller containers. As shown in the picture I have this left over musli in the cabinet. It really bothers me every time I open it up. 

Today I got the motivation to do something about it. Just put it in smaller batches so I don't even need to measure it every single time I want to eat it. The small containers are pasta sauce that I bought. I really like the small size. Sometimes I even bring some fruit with me in these containers and if it really gets messy I can throw it away because it didn't cost much but for now I have been reusing every single one of it. 

The musli in the container doesn't only looks nice but it also saves space because it's stackable. And in the cabinet it's easy to find because the plastic is transparent. The pantry is really a space that looks like a game of tetris, how to fit everything in it so it doesn't take too much space. 

Emphasize

When reading my own blog, I see how much I have evolved. It all started with the word minimalism, then the actions and naming it every time I do something. Now the procedures has been part of my life as if it's the most normal thing. I don't even think about the fact that it's minimalism. The first few post I wrote emphises a lot and made everything crystal clear.

Now I am thinking it's the most normal thing. That this kind of lifestyle suits me is something I didn't only choose but also put effort in changing my life. I started of by naming it, then learning it and then living it. A year ago I thought that I couldn't discard more things but now I am still giving things away and selling it.

When people think you can become a minimalist overnight, I would be very surprised and also admire that person. Because just parting with the stuff I have within a day would be so hard and I am also not emotional stable enough to do that. Of course I also would be very doubtful of the person could change so fast and later on buy things again, creating a jojo effect.

For all those that want to start: first read a lot about it. Decide for yourself if you want to live a life like minimalist. Start naming what minimalism is and what you're doing for yourself to change your environment and give your self a compliment at times and review back how it effect your daily life.

Don't let what others say, effect your decision too much but sometimes people around you may mention the changes you made. The most important thing is make it enjoyable for yourself. You don't need to show it off to much, your living room doesn't have to feel like a decor in a furniture shop but a little bit of trash is okay as long it still pleasant.